


The Melting Crown

by stellarose_pictureshow



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Frerard, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 12:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16765135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarose_pictureshow/pseuds/stellarose_pictureshow
Summary: Gerard Way is a prince, and he’s just turned is eighteen. His parents insist that it’s time for him to find a princess, and he agrees, until a lowly servant named Frank Iero catches his eyes instead.





	1. Chapter 1

"The ball is tonight!" Gerard's mother said cheerfully. Like her son needed any reminding.

"Yeah," Gerard mumbled. "Can't wait." He didn’t want to appear unenthusiastic, as his parents had planned this for weeks, just for him. But to Gerard, being forced to find a girlfriend wasn’t something to celebrate. He didn’t like that the _entire_ kingdom would be at the ball, either.

"Listen," Mrs. Way said, and put a hand on her son's shoulder. For a moment, Gerard was afraid she could read his thoughts. "You're going to find a princess tonight.” He felt himself relax. “I feel it in my heart. I really do. Go and put on your suit.”

Gerard nodded, though he didn't believe a word his mother was saying. He never had any true experience with a girl, ever. Each potential girlfriend he'd met hadn't appealed to him in the slightest. No one dared to poke fun at him, the prince (God help whoever did), but he knew he was under at least _some_ judgmental eyes.

Even his sixteen year old brother claimed to have found love, in the form of a girl from outside town named Alicia. And he was sixteen! For God’s sake! Though, Gerard always knew Mikey was the more confident, self-assured brother.

But perhaps tonight would be different. Maybe tonight, he'd look into the crowd of young women that would undoubtedly show, and set his gaze on the love of his life. Or maybe his mother was just getting to his head.

An hour before the ball, Gerard made his way back into his bedroom and stared into the wall-sized mirror across from his bed. The black suit he wore improved his already attractive figure, and his shoulder-length dark hair appeared to shine. He attempted a smile at his reflection, however it didn't feel or seem genuine at all. It morphed into a frown.

-  
Thousands of dresses reflected the shine of the diamond chandelier above them, one of the few pieces that just about made the ballroom. And the thousands of owners of those dresses all expected to end the night in Gerard's arms. The thought of it made him lightheaded.

From behind the giant double doors only accessible from inside the castle, Gerard and his father watched the ballroom fill to the brim. Two cursive Ws were engraved on either door. The Ways had long ago claimed this castle, and the W initial on nearly everything proved it.

"You ready, son?" The king asked, smiling harder than Gerard had ever seen him smile in his life. His hair was recently graying, but it did nothing to take away from how handsome he was. Even at forty, the only wrinkles on his entire face were inch-long lines around his eyes. He put a gloved hand on Gerard’s shoulder. “Let me tell you, I sure am.”

His parents’ immense hopefulness in this night put even more of a weight on his shoulders.

"I think I am," Gerard said. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The black dress shoes his parents chose for him felt tight and uncomfortable, but he liked the way they looked, so he hadn’t bothered to request new ones.

Gerard's father laughed and shoved open both doors so quickly, it took Gerard a moment to process the thousands of eyes suddenly on him.

"Attention!" The king shouted. For a regular man, speaking over such a large amount of people was an impossible task. But with the king, the entire ballroom had reduced to whispers and quiet mumbles in a matter of seconds.

"I'm sure most of you know the prince," he joked. Laughter erupted throughout the vicinity. "He's at an age where it's about time he's found a future queen to share the throne with. Our boy's eighteen now. We have high hopes that he will discover that special lady tonight, at this celebration in which we are so pleased to have you all attend."

The orchestra at the far end of the room eased into the beginning of a classical song. The crowd cheered, and Gerard involuntarily winced at the sudden loud noise. Gerard's father clapped him supportively on the back, and pushed him toward a nearby group of elegantly dressed young women.

"Hello," Gerard said politely. The group of girls giggled.

"You are _so_ cute," a girl in a green dress said. Gerard quickly decided that it was about the ugliest shade of green he'd ever had the displeasure of viewing. She would never become princess.

"Thanks. Uh, would you like to dance?"

Her face turned a bright scarlet. She looked back at her friends with a huge grin before turning back to Gerard, whose face had remained nonchalant throughout the entire exchange so far.

"I'd love to."

He took her hand. Immediately, he noticed how sweaty it was. It could even be described as damp. Though she didn't seem to notice.

 _God, please let the song end faster_ , Gerard couldn't help but think as he twirled this girl around under the eyes of thousands of needlessly envious women.

Finally, the orchestra switched to another classical song. Gerard bid her a short goodbye, then moved on to a different young woman. This one sported a blue, floor length dress, and he found himself enjoying her company more.

She shook a dark brown curl from her face and grinned at him. "You're a great dancer," she pointed out as he spun her with much more ease than he had with Green Dress Girl. Her dark skin glowed under the ballroom's light, which further emphasized her beauty.

Gerard couldn't help but admire every feature of hers as they moved across the marble floor, though he also couldn't imagine seeing her in a romantic sense, no matter how hard he tried.

Once the song ended, he smiled sadly as he bid her a more sincere goodbye.

To his relief, she returned his smile. "I really enjoyed my time with you, and I hope you find who you're looking for. At least I can tell my children one day that I've danced with Gerard Way."

He went on to dance with numerous girls until he no longer felt the strength to do so anymore. After he'd politely rejected the last girl, who took it much better than a lot of other girls did, he snuck off to the kitchen for a snack.

A large bowl of bread sat on the kitchen counter, and Gerard eagerly advanced toward it upon entering. He was almost overwhelmed with relief at the fact that the kitchen was empty.

"Oh, so none of the beautiful girls out there have struck you as princess worthy yet?"

Gerard spun around with a mouthful of bread. In the kitchen doorway stood a boy dressed in a servant's uniform. His short black hair was tousled and damp with sweat, and Gerard immediately felt guilty, imagining how much the king and queen were working servants tonight.

"I guess so," Gerard replied once he'd swallowed. He'd always been taught to leave servants alone and allow them to carry out their job, but he'd also been taught to be polite to everyone. "Who're you?"

"Frank," the servant said, then adjusted his black collared shirt. "Nice to meet you, prince Gerard."

"Likewise. Are you enjoying the party?"

"You mean serving hundreds of entitled rich people who either want the throne, to get in your pants, or both? Oh, absolutely."

To Frank's evident surprise, Gerard laughed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry about them. And I get it, even I'd rather be doing a number of other things than participate in this. So I guess that makes two of us."

Frank gave him a seemingly genuine smile. "Well, I'm glad I'm not alone."

The two took a seat on the kitchen counter and spoke for a while. Of hobbies, of events leading up to the present, and of things they'd rather be doing than attending the ball. The conversation so genuine, Gerard nearly forgot Frank was a servant, and Frank nearly forgot Gerard was the prince.

"Well, I've got to get out there and bullshit some more interest in these girls," Gerard said eventually, standing up. Then covered his mouth after realizing the profanity that had come out of it.

"How vulgar for a prince," Frank teased.

"Shut up," Gerard bit off a laugh. "Listen, I want to hang out with you again. You seem to... I don't know, get it. Not a lot of people do around here."

"I like you too, but your parents aren't paying me to hang out with you," Frank said. He laughed.

"Well, would they really mind if it was with me?" Frank gave him a look. "Alright, well, they don't have to know. I'll see you again."

"I guess you will." He maintained a more posh voice. "What the prince wants, he shall receive."

Gerard smiled and rolled his eyes. "Goodnight, Frank."

"Can't say goodnight yet! What if you meet a girl?" Frank pointed out. They shared a smile.

"We'll see."

-

Less than a minute after Gerard's return to the ballroom floor, a dark-haired girl was already in his arms.

Unlike the rest, this one's smile seemed to light up the entire room. She had even cracked a joke before grabbing his hands to dance. However, much like the rest, he simply couldn't find himself seeing her in a romantic sense.

She introduced herself as Lindsey. Her dress was navy blue, illustrated with small, multicolored flowers. She was also an excellent dancer.

As they danced, Gerard thought of what his parents expected of him, and how if he ended the night empty-handed, how disappointed they would be. He was well aware that all these people were human beings, with a heart and feelings, but god, he needed to choose someone to avoid a life of shame.

Despite his distaste for every one of these people romantically, if he had to choose someone, which he did, it would have to be Lindsey.

So when the song they were dancing to ended, Gerard kept her in his arms for the next one.


	2. New Perspective

"So, when's the wedding?"

Gerard shook his head. "Mom, I just started seeing her. She literally just got here, I'm not getting married right away. I'm just not."

He watched his parents share a look across the dining table. They seemed to have their own secret language that Gerard wasn’t ever apart of. Sometimes, they’d just glance at each other, and immediately knew what the other was thinking. Some might’ve found it romantic, but Gerard was only terrified and intimidated by it. Why couldn’t they just use words like everyone else?

His dad cleared his throat. "We just care about your future, son. And hey, could you pass the bread?"

Sitting with his parents for dinner each night always put Gerard off, as the table was large enough to seat hundreds, yet his father strictly prohibited anyone else from joining them. Whenever Gerard was asked to pass something, he'd have no choice but to make a long, dramatic stretch across the table. His brother, Mikey, used to join them for dinner, but that was before he met Alicia and went to her parents’ in town for dinner five times a week. Nowadays, Gerard was completely and utterly alone.

He found himself smiling after discovering the bread basket was empty.

"Sorry, dad. There's no more left." He shrugged.

"Damn it," Gerard's father mumbled under his breath. Gerard always saw it difficult to picture his father as any sort of king. What kind of king constantly cursed like a sailor? King Way had a curse word for every occasion, though the public didn’t know that. Then again, it was also difficult to picture himself as any sort of prince. What kind of prince has so much trouble finding a princess?

"Service!" Mrs. Way shouted. Gerard hated the way she treated servants. Especially since they were the ones _serving her_. To anyone else, she was warm and kind, but to servants, she’d shout and demand, and never use “please” or “thank you.” Gerard always made sure to thank servants. Within seconds of Mrs. Way’s call, a servant had emerged from the kitchen, and Gerard's heart just about stopped when he realized he was looking at Frank.

"What can I help you with, your majesty?" Frank asked the queen in a monotone voice, keeping his eyes off Gerard. Frank seemed bored, almost. His eyes drooped, and he played with his hands as he spoke.

"Bread," said the king, looking directly at Frank. He smiled at him slightly. King Way tended to treat servants with much more respect. "We need more."

"You got it." Frank suddenly looked directly into Gerard's eyes. "Gerard–erm, your highness–, anything you request?"

Gerard's face flared a bright red. "No, no, I'm fine. Thanks."

Once Frank had brought out bread and left, Gerard's father cleared his throat. He cleared his throat whenever he said something he knew others wouldn’t like to hear, Gerard grew to notice.

"Gerard, you haven't hung out with Bob in a while."

He internally groaned. Bob was a soldier's son; the perfect friend for Gerard, in his parents' eyes. In reality, Bob was annoying, lazy, and quite the opposite of Gerard in nearly every way. Bob loved coming to the castle to mooch of the king and queen’s goods, and Gerard hated it. Due to both of their fathers' close friendship, they'd been hanging out since they were children.

"Dad, I'm eighteen. Aren't I a little too old to be told who to 'hang out' with?"

His father sighed deeply. Gerard sat up in his seat a little, because whenever his father grew impatient, the whole world shook, and Gerard didn’t feel like being subjected to that. He’d seen it before. "Listen, Bob's father will be arriving after dinner. If you neglect Bob in any way, there will be consequences. It isn’t your place to spoil my friendship with lieutenant Bryar.”

Gerard rolled his eyes. Like anyone would dare to drop _the king_ as a friend. "Okay. Can I be excused?"

-  
Gerard barged into the humongous kitchen. His bare feet echoed throughout the room as he padded onto the tiled floors. "Frank?"

Bent over a stack of dishes, Frank mumbled something before turning around. "Hi, Gerard. Listen, I'd love to chat, but I've got a lot of work to do."

Gerard was a bit taken back at first. He was the _prince_ , for God’s sake, and someone was telling him no? He usually liked to think he was rather humble for someone like him—a prince. After getting told no, however, and immediately thinking to say, “Don’t you know who I am?”, Gerard wasn’t so sure.

After a moment of standing there in disbelief, Gerard walked over, picked up one of the dirty dishes, and began scrubbing it with a rag. "Can't hurt to get it done twice as fast, can it?"

Frank smiled. "You must really want to hang out with me, if you're washing filthy plates so willingly."

"My dad's friend's son is coming over soon, and just the thought of it makes me want to die. Over him, I'd choose you, and perhaps the dirty dishes, any day."

Frank continued at his work in peaceful silence for a minute, then stopped. "How about your new princess? That's all the castle's been talking about since the ball. God, you should hear them. Everybody’s got an opinion. It’s ridiculous.”

"She's upstairs getting a dress fitted, or something,” Gerard said. He tried to think. “I really don't know. I don’t pay attention.”

Frank was scrubbing a plate particularly hard. "Well, you don't seem very interested in her. You guys fight or something?"

Gerard shook his head. "No, she's lovely. I just, ah, I don't know." He quickly scrubbed a plate and set it aside.

"You what?"

"I'm not attracted to her. I haven't found a single girl I've been attracted to, ever. But the ball was ending, and my parents would be so disappointed, and-"

"You've never been attracted to a girl? Ever?"

Gerard blushed and stopped cleaning. "Is that bad? I just think I haven't found the right one yet."

Frank was laughing as he spoke. "You think in eighteen years, you would've been attracted to one girl? Gerard, that can only mean one-"

"Hello, Gerard!" Bob bellowed as he kicked the kitchen door open. "Your dad said he saw you go in here." He approached Gerard, completely ignoring Frank’s existence. Bob’s treatment of servants and the like was very similar to Mrs. Way’s. "Can I see the whore?"

Gerard raised an eyebrow. "The whore? What're you...?"

Bob burst into laughter. "It's a joke, you pussy! And speaking of pussy, I'm talking about the princess. Well, pre-princess. C'mon, introduce me to her."

With a heavy sigh, Gerard nodded and made for the door, Bob in tow. He hated the idea of subjecting Lindsey to Bob’s existence. Lindsey was much too good for that.

Right at the kitchen door, Gerard stopped.

"Hey, Bob, can I meet you upstairs? I just need to grab something."

"Alright, faggot, but hurry up," Bob mumbled and left.

After the two were left alone, Frank's back remained turned to Gerard. He continued with the slowly shrinking pile of dirty dishes, carefully scrubbing each one.

"I can see why you don't like him," he said. "If I was forced to hang out with that prick, I'd want to die, too."

Without acknowledging that Frank had spoke at all, Gerard bit his lip. "I want to know what you were going to say before. Like, because I haven't found a girl I'm attracted to."

Frank was quiet for a moment, like he was deciding on the right words. "Gerard, have you ever considered that you might be gay?"

Gerard chuckled and shook his head. His medium-length dark hair shook along with him, whipping the sides of his face. He really needed a cut soon.

“I’m a prince, Frank. Do you know what princes do?” Frank opened his mouth to speak, but Gerard shushed him with a hand. “They find a princess to rule the kingdom with.”

Frank didn’t miss a beat. "All that royalty bullshit aside, how can you be so sure?"

"Because, I just am. There's absolutely no way that-"

Frank turned, leaned forward, and kissed Gerard on the mouth. It was only a moment before Gerard responded. It was nothing he'd ever felt with a girl before. Lighting, electricity, actual feeling went through him as they grabbed each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This site keeps age-restricting my stories, so if you like my writing, I have two other fics you might enjoy, but they’re AGE RESTRICTED, so they won’t show up on the cue. But yeah check them out ;)


	3. Sleeping Dragon

"So, what do your parents think of me? Be honest."

"They love you," Gerard said truthfully, watching Lindsey sift through a pile of gowns that sat in a dusted-over trunk. Since they met her, the king and queen could only talk about how _pretty_ Lindsey was, and how she would make a great addition to the Way family. Though Gerard didn’t necessarily agree, his parents’ approval still made him feel good. He’d made the right choice, picking Lindsey. Gerard directed his attention back to her. "Mom wouldn't give you all her old, valuable clothes if they didn't at least _like_ you. Trust me, though, they couldn’t be happier that I’ve chosen you.”

Lindsey didn’t seem to be listening. It was almost like she forgotten she asked Gerard something. She was on her knees, still browsing the contents of the trunk, which had an engraved W on its side. She stopped at a bright blue dress with tulle material and ran her pale, manicured hands along the embroidery. "You said your mom grew up in poverty, right?"

"Yeah,” Gerard said, getting on his knees beside her so they were leveled. He was fighting a smile. One thing he loved about Lindsey, was that she remembered the little details a person would tell her. Lindsey was good at making people feel heard. She made Gerard feel more important than he already did, which was saying something, because he was the prince, for God’s sake.

"Then how's she got all these dresses that fit someone my age? How young did your parents get married?" A thing Gerard had also realized about her over the past week was that she asked plenty of questions. It wasn’t like she _tried_ to be annoying. Lindsey came from a non-royal family, and she was simply curious about all the things she’d never seen before. Gerard got that. It didn’t make him any less annoyed, though.

Gerard pretended to be in thought, but he truly did know his parents' past by heart. One of his first ever memories included him and Mikey, sitting by the fireplace, listening to their parents tell this story. "Dad was fifteen, and Mom was fourteen. Dad was following his father, or the king, I guess, into one of the less wealthy villages to deliver food and other necessities, and that's when he saw her. He knew at once that she would be his princess."

it took everything Gerard had not to sigh longingly. He found the story awfully romantic, and he often wished his own love life had kickstarted that way. 

"Took you a little longer than that, eh?" Lindsey teased, pushing him playfully. She turned back to the gowns and continued sifting through them.

"Haha, yeah," Gerard mumbled. As he stood, an image of Frank flashed through his mind. His short, tousled hair, his worn servant’s uniform, and those lips. God, those lips.

He hadn't seen Frank after they kissed. Bob had been impatiently calling Gerard's name too long and too loudly for the kiss to be too enjoyable. After about a minute, Frank pulled away, clapped Gerard on the back, and awkwardly made an exit.

He hadn't told Lindsey, because why should he? It was a one time thing, he assumed. Though he wouldn't have minded if it were more than that. As much as he loved Lindsey as a person, Gerard knew he would always be a million times more attracted to Frank. It wasn’t fair, really. If his parents knew, Gerard could only imagine what would happen. He’d be banished from the castle, perhaps, with no money or anything. 

"Did you know that hardly any of my friends talk to me anymore?" Lindsey stood. She stepped up beside him, and another dress was in her hand. She extended her arms in front of her to see it better. "They're jealous that you chose me over them."

"Some real friends they are," Gerard offered.  
It was all he could think to say. 

Without warning, Lindsey leaned over and kissed his lips. 

"All I need is you," she whispered. Gerard broke into a cold sweat.

-

After befriending Frank, Gerard couldn't help but feel weird asking servants to do tasks for him. So, he found himself alone in the kitchen at lunchtime, making himself a sandwich. Lindsey was off at some spa. He was invited, but he had quickly declined. 

"Hey," someone said from behind him, and Gerard spun around at the speed of light. 

"Frank," Gerard breathed. "Odd how we're always finding each other in the kitchen."

"Not that weird," Frank said. "I mean, it is one of my jobs to be in here, and you seem to always be hungry."

"Yeah."

They were quiet. Eye contact seemed to be too much at the moment, and both boys found themselves looking rather interested in the ground.

After a long period of this, Frank took three large steps toward Gerard and began kissing him again. 

It was a minute before Gerard realized the issue behind this. He pulled away, shaking his head fiercely. 

"No, no, no, Frank, we can't do this. It's wrong. We have to stop." He put his hands on Frank's chest and moved him an arms length away. “I shouldn’t have to tell us this.” 

"Why are you with her?" Frank hissed. "You don't even like her. Isn't that a little more wrong?"

“I know it is!” Gerard exclaimed. His eyes immediately darted around the room  
afterward, to make sure no one heard him. “Give me time,” he continued, voice reduced to a whisper. “Time is all I need, and I’ll fix this whole mess.”

. -

"Alright, pose."

Flash.

"Happy."

Flash.

"Serious."

Flash 

"Now look at each other lovingly."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Gerard asked the photographer, who was adjusting the set's lighting. He and Lindsey stood on a white backdrop.

"Like this," Lindsey giggled and cupped Gerard's chin, pulling his face toward hers. They smiled at each other.

Flash.

"Got it. That was excellent. I think we're done here. Great job, you two."

As they walked off the set, Lindsey pelted Gerard with kisses. "That was so fun. Your parents were so smart for having us take those for the wedding."

"Yeah," Gerard said quietly, his attention not fully on Lindsey or her words.

"Hey, you want to go to lunch? I've got this great place-"

"I don't know. I'm kind of tired."

"You've got to do couple things with me." She grabbed his hand. "You always say no. If we're going to be together, we've got to do more than wander around the castle."

"You're right," Gerard murmured, tightening his grip on her hand. He was thinking of Frank, and how they'd see each other later. His heart sunk every time Lindsey mentioned him and her being together. It made it all too real, and him and Frank all the much worse.

She let go of his hand and began going in an opposite direction of him. "Think about what you want to do, okay? I'm down for most anything." She smiled as a blush crept across her face. "As long as it's with you."

Gerard wasn't sure how he could live with himself.


	4. Trouble in Paradise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha “paradise”

"You've got to propose sometime soon," the king said one night at dinner. He wore his crown today. With its glittering jewels and rare furs, it sat atop the king’s head. Usually, the crown was reserved for special occasions, and Gerard could hardly call this a “special occasion.” For the first time in weeks, Mikey was there, and he said next to nothing as the topic of Lindsey came up. Gerard wasn’t surprised. Since they were kids, Gerard’d always noticed that Mikey was more of a listener than a questioner. "If you don’t tend to to her, she's going to slip away. I'm telling you."

"No she's not," Gerard protested. Unlike seemingly _everyone else_ in the kingdom, Gerard knew that the king wasn’t always right. Sometimes, as all-knowing as he seemed, the king actually had no idea what he was talking about. For example, Gerard’s complications with marrying Lindsey. "She's got the luxuries of the castle. All the clothing, food, or... spa treatment she could ever want is right here! She wouldn't leave for anything."

His mother gasped. "That's so rude of you to say!"

Mikey, who sat beside Gerard, nodded in agreement with their mother. He’d bleached a bit of his previously brown hair, and blonde tips hung over his eyes. Gerard, in all honesty, thought it was the ugliest thing he’d ever seen. Mikey adjusted the collar of his pin-striped shirt before opening his mouth to speak. “You shouldn’t talk about her like that,” he said, looking at Gerard for what felt like the first time that night. “That’s just disrespectful.”

Gerard wanted to slap him. His hand twitched with the urge. Even more, though, he wanted to know where their friendship had gone. Just a year ago, they’d been as tight as anything, and Gerard always had someone to talk to. Now, Gerard and Mikey could go weeks without seeing each other. If he didn’t have Frank, Gerard was sure he would go insane.

"Well, it's true," he persisted. His gaze fell downward. He was unable to look his parents in the eye, as he'd never used a tone so foul with them before. His brother, on the other hand, had heard every tone Gerard could’ve ever mustered, so Gerard didn’t feel too bad about badmouthing him. 

After an awfully long period of quiet, the king cleared his throat. He adjusted the crown on his head, and a bit of gray hair poked out. "Why is this such a big deal, son? Why are you making this all into something bigger than it has to be?"

Immediately, Gerard's mind went to Frank. How difficult and worse their whole affair would be if Gerard was married. And how final Lindsey and Gerard's relationship would be. There were no divorces or splits in marriage in the royal family, because that simply did not look good. His parents loved him, sure, but if Gerard ever tried to leave someone who had become his wife, the king and queen had made it clear that Gerard would be shunned, and perhaps banished from the kingdom. 

Gerard considered his father’s question before thinking of an answer. 

"Because it's so final," Gerard blurted out, figuring he was partially telling the truth. "Once we're married, that's it. And I haven't gotten to know her all the way yet."

He quickly noticed the look his parents gave each other, though he couldn't decipher it if he tried.

*** 

The next night, Lindsey was at dinner. Mikey wasn’t. 

Lindsey smiled so widely when Gerard came through the door, Gerard's heart sank with guilt all over again. Her dark hair almost glowed, and even without touching it, Gerard knew it was silky to the touch. She wore a dreamy blue mesh-material gown that made _her_ look more like royalty than Gerard did. Truly, Gerard didn’t mind that too much, but he couldn’t look at her nonetheless. A terrible part of him wanted to never get to know her better, truly, because that would probably weigh him down with even more guilt.

"So, Lindsey, how come we haven't seen much of your parents yet?" The king got the conversation ball rolling.

Gerard winced, assuming it was a sensitive subject, because the king had a terrible habit of being rather insensitive when he didn't mean to be. However, Lindsey merely smiled and quickly swallowed her food to speak.

"They don't like pictures, limelight, attention, anything like that," she explained, neatly fixing her next portion of food on her fork. "They'd love to meet you all, though." She glanced sideways and gave a small grin. "Especially you, Gerard."

"If they're amazing as you are," Gerard overdramatized, "I'd love to meet them, too."

He couldn’t bear to meet Lindsey’s parents. He really couldn’t. The guilt with Lindsey’s existence was bad enough, but her _parents_ , for God’s sake? Gerard would probably die of guilt, if that was possible. 

"I think you're speaking for all of us when you say that," Gerard's mother spoke for the first time since dinner started. "I'll toast to that." She smiled and raised her glass, which Gerard and his father politely toasted back to.

After dinner, Gerard gave a random excuse to Lindsey about needing to do something, and barged into the kitchen. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed Frank there.

"Frank, guest room. Now."

The guest room had become their spot after they'd realized how easy it was for another person to walk into the kitchen and see them together. Not only did the king rarely permit guests, but there were dozens of guest rooms just like this one, and what were the chances this one would be used, with the already one-in-a-million chance that a visitor would need one?

So Frank and Gerard kept their distance until they were in front of the guest room door, which they pulled open, eased shut, and ran past, to the slightly wrinkled bed before it.

Frank practically jumped on top of Gerard as he began kissing him. "I've been thinking of you all day," he whispered in his ear before connecting their lips again. 

"Likewise," Gerard replied, running a hand through Frank's hair. He began fumbling to unbutton the top half of Frank's uniform: black blazer and white dress shirt—as they kissed, his hands nearly shaking with anticipation. 

Once Frank's shirt was off, Frank began working on Gerard's, starting by undoing the tie placed around the collar of it.

"You are so beautiful," he mumbled. "God, I know I say it a lot, but you are."

Gerard squeaked when he felt Frank begin to place his hands elsewhere. It was a warm-up thing that Frank was sure he did almost purely due to the adorable sounds that escaped Gerard's mouth. 

"Kiss me some more," Gerard insisted, and Frank obliged. "I think-"

"What. The. Fuck?"

Gerard and Frank's heads jerked upwards, and they were terrified to find Bob standing there, two suitcases in hand. His dirty blonde hair was ruffled and all over the place, in true Bob fashion.

"You're not going anywhere until we know you're not going to say anything," Gerard hissed from a distance, doing his absolute best not to portray just how frightened he was. "...If you say anything, there... _will_ be consequences."

"Like what?" Bob asked as he still laughed and picked his nose. By Frank's facial expression, Gerard could tell he was wondering the same thing. Like what? Truthfully, Gerard didn’t know. Perhaps he would find what he was looking for as he spoke.

"Well, Bob, I'm the prince. The king's... trusted, goody two-shoes son. Now you tell me, would he believe you or me if I told him you were... uh, trying to uh, force yourself on me, constantly, since we were kids? And tell me, how quickly would your dad lose his job afterwards?"

Bob's eyes widened to the size of silver dollars. He still picked his nose. Though his laughter stopped. "That's disgusting. You... you can't..."

Gerard shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "Well, the choice is yours."

Bob grumbled something in agreement before unlocking the door and leaving, most likely in order to avoid stumbling into anything else that could get his father fired.

Behind Gerard, Frank's mouth was slacked.

"What?" Gerard asked when he noticed.

"I have never heard you talk like that," Frank said. He began buttoning his shirt again. "Literally never. My god, that was impressive. Almost takes your goody prince image away from me."

"Almost?" Gerard laughed, tying his black tie.

"It's cute," Frank pointed out. "I don't want to lose it." After he was completely dressed again, he turned to Gerard. "You need to figure out something to do about Lindsey. You know that."

Gerard's heart dropped to his stomach, and he felt himself become the vulnerable, sensitive prince he truly was again. "I know."

He hated that he had to “do something” about her. It sounded like the language an exterminator would use for rats in someone’s building. Lindsey was a living, breathing person. Maybe Gerard didn’t love her, but she deserved fair treatment nonetheless. Gerard wanted to make sure of that.

Frank kissed Gerard on the cheek, the exact place Lindsey always kissed him when she was pleased. "I trust you to make good decisions." Then his voice dropped down to a whisper. "But then again, nobody needs to know."


	5. Drifting Away

"You're proposing tonight, and that is final."

"Honey." Gerard's father made an attempt at easing his wife by putting a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. Gerard found himself smiling at the effort. King Way was a kind-hearted, sympathetic man, when it came down to it. He cared about his children. "Gerard was right before. He can't just rush this whole thing. Neither can we."

"Stop pretending you're okay with this," the queen said through gritted teeth, then stood abruptly from the long, marble table. Her shoulder-length black locks seemed to shimmer under the fluorescent lights of the meeting room. Not a single hair was out of place. "Do you realize what you're making us look like, Gerard? I don't think it's ever taken this long for a prince to propose in the history of this family!"

The king only watched from the throne-like chair that had been made especially for the Way kings. Much like the crown, it was encrusted with valuable jewels and rare furs. Years upon years prior, it had been built for a king to sit there and inspire his men, with words and wisdom. It seemed like a joke now, as king Way sat there, submissive to his wife’s anger.

Gerard bit his lip. His pixie-like features scrunched up before he spoke. "You know what it's like having it rough when you're young, Mom," he tried. Perhaps it would work. Mrs. Way _had_ spent the first part of her live in poverty. If anyone should be sympathetic toward those with rough childhoods, it would be her. 

The queen only rolled her eyes. Bright green. Rare. Beautiful. "You grew up rich. I love you Gerard, but you cannot compare our childhoods, especially to get out of this. You're proposing to this girl, and that's that."

"But-"

"Honey?” Her hard expression morphed into a softer one as she turned to Mr. Way and smiled sweetly. "Call for a community dinner tonight, outside the castle. I want this proposal as public as possible." She spun back to face Gerard, who appeared nothing short of horrified. His mouth was agape, and he couldn’t meet his mother’s eyes. "We're just doing what's best for you. In ten years, you will thank us."

Gerard frantically looked to his father, expecting some sort of supportive argument from his side, as the king usually always sided with Gerard whenever the argument got this bad. To his complete and utter confusion, his father's aged face remained blank, only showing the slightest bit of emotion each time the queen gave another order. Gerard's heartbeat quickened. His stomach jumbled into a frenzy of knots. He gulped before opening his mouth to speak. 

"Mom, I haven't even-"

"Shut up.” Gerard and king Way’s eyes widened at that one.

"No, no, I'm just trying to say-"

"Quiet!"

"Please let me-"

"Enough!"

"I don't think I love her!" He blurted out. His voice echoed loudly throughout the meeting room's spacious ceilings. A paranoid part of Gerard worried that Lindsey would somehow hear. Another part severely _hoped_ that Frank would hear. Lindsey, at the moment, was being fitted for a dinner gown, all the way on the other side of the castle. And in this spacious room, Gerard and his parents were the only inhabitants. However, Gerard still feared he was too loud. His mother and father simply stared.

His mother paced in a circle for a moment, pulling at the skirts of her dress as she did so. Gerard and his father watched her with increasing concern. When she was finished, she stopped and looked her son directly in the eyes.

"I don't care."

-

Frank watched as Gerard paced helplessly before him.

Frank was an excellent problem solver. He thought quickly on his feet, and paid close attention to the world around him. For the brief amount of time they'd been close, Gerard had grown used to coming to Frank with an issue and then listening to Frank's perfect solution for said issue. 

When Frank was confronted with this issue, however, he simply had nothing to say, which had increased Gerard's panic significantly. 

"Please calm down," Frank begged. The guest room, usually a warm, safe haven, seemed to be closing in on them today.

Gerard halted in his tracks. He took a seat on the fairly wrinkled bed. Its cream-colored sheets hadn’t been properly made since the moment Frank and Gerard decided to use it as their hideout. "Calm down? Frank, I want to spend every moment of my future with you, but that can never happen. Never. Do you know how upsetting that is?"

"You think I'm not upset, too?" Frank raised his voice, causing Gerard to flinch. They were usually mindful and careful of how much sound they made. "But I'm trying to deal with it like a rational human being."

"You don't have to propose to a woman you don't love," Gerard shot back bitterly. "You don’t get it. Listen, I get you're a victim in this, too, but I-"

Frank cut him off by taking three steps forward and planting a kiss directly on his lips. Gerard kissed back momentarily, pulling Frank onto the bed and playing with the collar of his servant’s uniform. It was a moment before he stopped.

"We can't do this," Gerard said, standing and pushing Frank away. His eyes filled with tears. "I want to. You have no idea how much I want to, but this is so wrong."

In any other situation in which Gerard started crying, Frank would have snapped back, telling him to man up. But when Gerard finally found the courage to look into the other boy's eyes, he saw that Frank was crying, too.

"I really think we can make it work," Frank whispered. So little meaning came from his words. 

"Tonight at the community dinner, I will be proposing to Lindsey. You and thousands of others will be watching. Those are the facts. The decisions we make following that are up to us. It's better if we make good ones."

"Gerard." Frank grabbed Gerard's hand and squeezed it. "Let's think about this some more. You can't go living a lie."

Gerard gave a watery smile and squeezed Frank's hand back, slowly backing toward the door until they only had each other by the fingertips. "Goodbye, Frank."


End file.
